97 Million Children in the Asia-Pacific Region Lacked Birth Certificates in 2020

A birth certificate is a legally valid document proving someone's status and the fact of their birth, issued by an authorized institution in a country. Birth certificates are crucial because they determine a child's legal status and citizenship.

According to UNICEF data, 97 million children under the age of 5 in the Asia-Pacific region lacked birth certificates in 2020. South and Southwest Asia had the highest number of children without birth registration, totaling 83 million.

Southeast Asia followed with 13 million children without birth certificates. The Pacific region had 1 million children without birth certificates.

In North and Central Asia, 200,000 children lacked birth certificates. In East and Northeast Asia, this figure was 54,000.

In Indonesia, according to the Indonesian Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection, low birth certificate coverage is due to the lack of fees for processing birth certificates, the distance to the registration office, and parents' lack of understanding of the registration process.

(Read More: Percentage of Indonesian Children with Birth Certificates Increases Every Year)